It’s amazing how fast the year flies by! And as 2019 gets ready to sound its trumpet, I’m honored to be able to share with you another news and educational forum that will unveil the brilliant effervescence that makes our industry a great one. In addition to my website and newsletter, www.grandcentralfloral.com, I hope you’ll also enjoy reading my latest forum: The Floral Pulse, powered by The Produce News. As many of you already know, The Produce News is the... Read more

Christmas In 1870, Christmas was declared a U.S. federal holiday joining over thirteen other secular holidays celebrated in December. For two millennia, Christmas had been celebrated worldwide around the sacred event of Christ’s birth and the commercialization of gift exchanges and holiday parties.   It wasn’t until the 19th century that most Americans began celebrating Christmas. • In the middle ages, Christmas celebrations were boisterous and rambunctious,... Read more

Across the board, financial analysts are projecting a sales increase between 4-5 percent for the holiday shopping season. This is on top of a 5.3 percent revenue increase last year (2016-17), which will raise total 2018 holiday spending to $721 billion. The forces driving these increases are reported to be tax incentives, low unemployment, low inflation and higher wages. On the reverse side, import tariffs could cause a slowdown in some commodities and the controversial... Read more

(First posted on endowment.org) The leaves are beginning to change, and you know what that means? It’s time to prepare your Pinterest boards for holiday selling!  Say what?  Yes!  You’ll be glad you started early and are prepared to use the latest in social media to market your business. Pin as a business If you haven’t already, you’ll want to convert your boards to a business account.  This will provide needed tools such as Business Analytics... Read more

Go figure. I prepared the night before, learning all the football terms that I thought would be the focal point of Peyton Manning’s keynote at PMA’s Fresh Summit 2018. I researched the term, “blitz.” I learned about “audibles.” I even discovered the term, “hail mary,” and realized I’ve done a few of those in my career! The day had come. The packed audience was nervous with anticipation as they waited for the two-time Super Bowl champion and five-time NFL MVP to... Read more

The American Floral Endowment is once again participating in the national movement known as #GivingTuesday. Following the chaos of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, #GivingTuesday (on Nov. 27) is a unique opportunity to harness the generous spirit of the holiday season and encourage support for charitable organizations. AFE serves the floral industry in this capacity and contributions to AFE continue to provide programs and benefits for the entire floral industry. Tax-deductible... Read more

The interior plant boom continues as people can’t get enough “green” in their living spaces, work spaces and life in general.  People seek to balance their high-tech and virtual lives with a connection to nature. Houseplants, living walls, green roofs, balcony gardens, pet plants, and junglescaping are just a few answers to the call for nature. The Tropical Plant International Expo is the business-to-business event customized for the wholesale plant buyer.... Read more

Guangzhou is the main flower production base in China, and internationally reputed as the “City of Flowers.” Spanning large production areas within the territory, Guangzhou touts a wealth of flower varieties and is the main floral importer and distribution center of the country. In recent years, Guangzhou has been promoting the concept of “Green Hills and Clear Waters are Gold & Silver Mountains.” In June of 2018, the director of Bureau of Forestry and Landscaping... Read more

We know they’re a “go-to” flower, and our customers can’t wait for their arrival. But, do you ever want to tour behind-the-scenes of a peony farm and experience a truly Zen moment with the beauty of Alaska and a luscious meal? This sounds like “flower heaven” to me.     Well, mark your calendar for Aug. 3-4, 2019: Education? Check. Beauty? Check. Hearty feast? Check. New friends? Check. Zen moments? Double-check. Joselyn Peonies, a flower... Read more

Dewar Nurseries, America’s largest rose grower, is proud to introduce Elizabeth & Alexandra, a new division offering innovative floral creations and an assortment of edible fruits.   Named for the third generation of the Dewar family, the Elizabeth & Alexandra brand offers a youthful eye toward quality, style and convenience for retail shoppers.  Representing the 3rd generation, the new brand’s namesakes are the granddaughters of Dewar Nurseries’... Read more

Spellbinding... informative... well-presented. These are the words used to describe the latest business trends in international floral production that were highlighted at WF&FSA’s 2018 Floral Distribution Conference. Tulip production in Holland.Oasis Floral Products/Floralife sponsored an edifying 90-minute discovery session on the current state of international flower production, outlined by renowned international floral experts from the United States, South... Read more

You may have heard the term “blockchain” this year mentioned in many different ways. What is it? The blockchain is a new technology that many people say will transform how many of us do business together. Think back to before the internet came along, how people were speculating on the future of e-commerce. The blockchain is a new technology that many people say will transform how many of us do business together.In its most basic form, a blockchain (formerly block... Read more

There is something so special about a white flower, especially in winter. The season begs for this elegant tone to tie together a home. The white color palette is wonderful not only for straight bunches of tulips and lilies, but as an upscale monochromatic bouquet. The pristine yet neutral nature of white makes it a perfect selection for any gift as well. White flowers reflect the inevitable snow, except they celebrate in joy, not in shoveling. Though white is... Read more

The floral lineup in Orlando, Florida, from October 18-20 featured more than 130 exhibitors in the new Floral Marketplace, more than 80 confirmed floral buyers in attendance and a Floral “Flamingle” Reception, which named Carlos Oramas, CEO and co-founder of Gems Group, Inc., the 2018 Floral Marketer of the Year. Floral buyers, sellers, breeders and growers came together in an expanded show-within-a-show Floral Marketplace with dedicated space increasing by... Read more

The powerful “Gales of November” occur when cold, dry air from Northern Canada converges with warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico over the Great Lakes and the result is an impressive force of nature to behold. Sustained wind speeds well over 50 miles per hour stir up huge angry waves that crash against shorelines as the Great Lakes fight the approach of winter with all their might. Fall is all about bountiful pumpkins and hardy chrysanthemums. Four-month-old... Read more

Fall is the time for open houses and floral conventions, with the first major fall shows taking place in Quito, Ecuador. For the first time, Expoflores, the Ecuadoran Flower Growers and Exporters Association, hosted its own show with the inaugural event taking place in the brand new Metropolitan Convention Center of Quito. A few short miles away, HPP Exhibitions hosted their biennial Agriflor show in the Centro de Exhibiciones Quito. Over 120 exhibitors displayed... Read more

The tables were set for over 400 diners at the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner held during the Society of American Florists’ Annual Convention Sept. 14 in Palm Springs, CA. Over 400 guests attended the American Grown Field to Vase Dinner held during the SAF Annual Convention in Palm Springs, CA.These dinners normally take place on an American flower farm, but convention attendees got a taste of the experience in a very unique location. There was a do-it-yourself... Read more

Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria, CA, has added 39 acres in Oxnard, CA, to its portfolio of orchid-growing facilities, according to a news release. Undeveloped and currently in use as open-field agriculture, the new property is located 1.5 acres from the ocean, which provides the necessary cool temperatures for proper cultivation. Westerlay Orchids in Carpinteria, CA, announced a recent expansion, which includes 39 acres in Oxnard, CA.“Long-term sustainability... Read more

Sea Waltz is a delphinium variety bred by Miyoshi in Japan and distributed by Ball in North, Central and South America and Eastern Africa. Lourdes Reyes, marketing director at Ball SB in Miami, is very fond of this particular variety. Lourdes Reyes holds a Sea Waltz delphinium stem grown by Florisol and displayed at Expo Flor Ecuador 2018 in Quito.“It is like a little machine and it is programmable, producing stems every 11 weeks,” said Reyes in a news release.... Read more

The Gems Group and Járdines de los Andes announced a new equity partnership Oct. 15 in a news release. “This is an exciting move to formalize our strong relationship as ‘grower’ and ‘marketer,’ and one that we feel is ideally set for the age before us”, said Carlos Oramas, chief executive officer at Gems Group. As part of the new agreement, Oramas will remain as majority partner and continue to lead the Miami-based company. “We believe the future of our dynamic... Read more